A Cardano block is a collection of transactions that are grouped together and verified as a unit. It's similar to a page in a ledger. Each block contains a hash, which is a unique cryptographic code that identifies the block and its contents. Once a block is created, it's added to the blockchain, which is a public, distributed database. This process is known as block production. The creation of new blocks is carried out by staking pools, which are groups of individuals who contribute their ADA to secure the network. Blocks play a crucial role in the Cardano network by recording transactions, ensuring security, and providing a historical record.
Block 5242359 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 19744322 epoch_slot_no: 131522 block_no: 5242182 slot_leader_id: 5086864 size: 1440 time: 2021-01-22 10:16:53 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3a9ab29267667c03de4a80d3b18b51a53b5986686e71157abe52b86cad7b8cd7Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1k47yqwvgky98aphefw3gzgl8ya640fzmltxc5sucks70vu8g8les6x9ska op_cert: \xb7a24f653c5400bc7c91fa4e3609b1830976b8cf7bb5f2b26040a03eadda9958 op_cert_counter: 1